Meet the Team
Our Senior Surveyors, also Captains or Chief Engineers, have more than 35 years experience working as nautical/technical Surveyors and Consultants for banks, shipping- and insurance companies as well as ship financing institutions.
Graduate Marine Engineer (FH) - Peter Merkel
Peter started his maritime education in 1986 with Hapag Lloyd as a ship’s mechanic apprentice. His further career took him all the way up from a licensed ship mechanic, to a graduated Marine Engineer, Chief Engineer, Technical Superintendent, Technical Director and finally Managing Director of Uniteam Marine a Shipmanagement company and crew provider with offices in Limassol, Hamburg, Singapore, Odessa, Klaipeda and Yangon.
In 2013 he founded his own company 53° Nord - Marine Surveyor, which was extended beginning 2016 into the 53° Nord - Marine Consulting GmbH & Co. KG.
He is a member of the Association of German Marine Experts(VDSS) and the Federation of European Maritime Association of Surveyors and Consultants (FEMAS).
Lennart has sailed for more than ten years in management positions on various types of ships.
With over six years as a manager of ship valuation, ship survey and technical consultancy in the maritime industry at one of the leading (German) banks in ship financing, Lennart brings great expertise and experience. During this period, he executed and reviewed approximately 12,000 ship valuations and approximately 1,000 ship inspections and supervised a portfolio of up to 1,500 ships of all types. During a five-year tenure as a transport risk engineer and cargo surveyor, Lennart gained additional experience in different aspects of the maritime industry.
Lennart is the 53° Nord Marine ship evaluation division manager and is happy to support 53° Nord clients with his profound knowledge and great dedication to this subject.
Graduate Marine Engineer - Jure Kutlesa
Jure sailed many years as Chief Engineer.
He was Fleet Manager and Technical Director with Uniteam Marine Ship Management Company in Hamburg prior he joined the 53° Nord team in 2017.
Apart from his wide range of experiences in supervising and managing vessels, he conducted many dry dockings, repair supervisions and also supervising of new buildings (Bulk Carriers).
Graduate Marine Engineer - Vytautas Rimeika
Vytautas is a well experienced graduated Marine Engineer.
He served many years on board of various dry cargo vessels as Engineer/Chief Engineer.
From 2001 to 2013 he worked as Technical Director at Uniteam Marine and joined our 53° Nord team in 2014.
Vytautas has a high reputation among our customers due to his reliability and professionalism.
He is regularly engaged in Class renewal and drydocking projects since he has experiences of more than 200 dry dockings during his career.
Capt. Karl-Heinz Lützen
Karl Heinz sailed as a Master on different types of vessels and worked in higher and Senior Management Positions with worldwide operating/trading Shipping companies like:
- Manager Pool- and Controlling with DAL Deutsche Afrika-Linien
- Manager Controlling and Administration CMB-North
- Manager Logistics and Maintenance and Repair CMB-North and Safmarine/Maersk
- Commercial Manager and Commercial Director with Rickmers Reederei GmbH & Cie. KG finally responsible for the chartering and commercial operation including sale and purchase of 120 seagoing vessels up to 5.500 TEU.
In his capability as Commercial Director Karl-Heinz is familiar with all kinds of commercial matters/agreements.
Capt. Uwe Kühn
Uwe sailed many years as Master, worked ashore as Superintendent and started in 1986 his own business as Independent Marine Surveyor. He has conducted hundreds of condition-, pre-purchase- and valuation surveys.
Besides the aforesaid he was very much engaged in reviewing the technical specifications and monitoring the building progress of cruise ship newbuilding projects like: “The World” of “ResidenSea”; “Silversea” 2 ships; “Princess Cruises” 2 ships; „National Geographic Orion“
Frauke Garbers-Bückmann
Frauke started her career in shipping in 2001. She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.
Frauke has gained a wide range of experiences in crewing-, insurance- und operational management.
She joined our 53° Nord team in 2016.
